Brains, Rots and Burns........corrections welcomed !

Yellow Brain, Tremella mesenterica, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

Rot ???, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

Crystal Brain, Exidia nucleata, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

A fungus, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

Clouded Funnel,  Clitocybe nebularis, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

as above, but individual from below

A Rot ???, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

Anthracobia macrocystis, on new bonfire site, Ringstead Downs, 24th November 2014

Ladybird Day Listing

Steve, Andy and I recorded 14 species on the patch Thursday including the most recent Norfolk addition Rhyzobius lophanthae pictured at the bottom of this post.

1.  Pine ladybird (Exochomus 4-pustulatus)

2.  Orange ladybird (Halyzia 16-guttata)

3.  Eyed Ladybird (Anatis ocellata)

4.  24-spot ladybird (Subcoccinella 24-punctata)

5.  10-spot ladybird (Adalia 10-punctata)

6.  Cream-streaked ladybird (Harmonia 4-punctata)

7.  Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis)

8.  22-spot ladybird (Psyllobora 22-punctata)

9.  Rhyzobius lophanthae

10.  7-spot ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata)

11.  11-spot Ladybird (Coccinella 11-punctata)

12.  8-spot ladybird (Myrrha 18-guttata)

13.  Rhyzobius litura

10-spot ladybird (Adalia 10-punctata) taken by Andy

11-spot Ladybird (Coccinella 11-punctata)

Cream-streaked ladybird (Harmonia 4-punctata) taken by Andy

Eyed Ladybird (Anatis ocellata) taken by Andy

8-spot ladybird (Myrrha 18-guttata)

Orange ladybird (Halyzia 16-guttata)

Rhyzobius lophanthae taken by Andy

Four spiders and a wasp

Gibbaranea gibbosa, Holme NWT, 20th November 2014

to be identified, Holme NWT, 20th November 2014

Zygiella x-notata, Holme NWT, 20th November 2014

Nuctenea umbratica, Hunstanton Park, 20th November 2014

German Wasp, Vespula germanica, Hunstanton Park, 20th November 2014

German Wasp, Vespula germanica, Hunstanton Park, 20th November 2014 

Dune Inkcap

Dune Inkcap, Coprinopsis ammophilae, Holme NWT, 16th November 2014

Common Wasp

There was a lot of fly and wasp activity amongst the ivy flowers in Ringstead Downs late this morning. Here's a Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris....

Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris, Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Also in the Downs was a nice selection of, mostly, yet-to-be-identified Fungi....

Tawny Grisette, Amanita fulva (?), Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Jelly Ear, Auricularia auricula-judae, Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Purple Jellydisc Ascocoryne sarcoides Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Lion Shield, Pluteus leoninus, Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme,  Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

 A Bolete, Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

Tar-spot Fungi, Rhytisma acerinum on Sycamore, Ringstead Downs, 17th November 2014

And here's shot of the Annual Mercury which Adrian found recently in Hunstanton.

More fungi!

Russula nitida - two found growing under Pine near the visitor center.

Funnel sp.?

Waxcap sp.

Callicera rufa - My find of the year.

Something from way back in July...

Fungi and flowers

An orange fungus growing in grass at Holme Dunes was initially identified as Yellow Club Clavulinopsis helvola. Certainly some of the fruit bodies were this species, with darker orange tips. However some of the fruit bodies had pale yellow tips and I believe that these were Apricot Club Clavulinopsis luteoalba. Apparently these two species occur in mixed colonies along with Handsome Club Clavulinopsis laeticolor.

On Wednesday two of the plant species flowering on the Kit Kat wasteland site at the north end of Seagate Road caught my eye.  One was very noticeable with a number of plants in flower. These were plants of a broom which I have keyed out as Montpellier Broom Genista monspessulana. Apparently this species can become quite invasive in the Mediterranean.

The other plant was much less obvious, nestled against the side of one of the large boulders of carrstone.  It has been identified as Annual Mercury Mercuralis annua.

Colour-ringed Twite

Many of you will have noticed that the county is currently hosting more Twite than has been usual for the last few winters. Of the 51 birds in Thornham Harbour on 9th November, at least three were colour-ringed:

Blue/metal (left leg) X Blue/White (right leg) was ringed at Derby Delph, South Yorkshire on the 16th September 2014

Yellow/metal (left leg) X Yellow/White (right leg) was ringed at Derby Delph, South Yorkshire on the 29th September 2014

Orange/metal (left leg) X Blue/Blue (right leg) was ringed at Braich ty du, Snowdonia on 18th April 2014

The links with the south Pennines is well established but a bird from the tiny Welsh breeding population (estimated at only 30 pairs) is a great find.

Others are sure to be colour-ringed, so why not keep checking these and other birds and see what you can turn up.

Housekeeping in progress..............

I've just (November 13th) added lists for 517 Beetles, 166 Hemipterans, 112 Dipterans, 48 Hymenopterans and a few tens of other assorted invertebrates recorded by our group in 2014. To ensure there is no duplication, I've 'hidden' some earlier sheets, transferring information from them, where necessary, to these or a small number of additional new sheets. I've also put all the sheets in some semblance of taxonomic order. It will take me a few days to neaten up all the new sheets, especially where I've transferred in data but in the meantime, I hope it all makes sense.